3 arrested; safe recovered

Published: Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 10:49 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 10:49 p.m.

OCALA - Sheriff's deputies arrested three men and recovered a safe that contained a sizeable amount of cash and drugs that had been stolen from a home, according to officials.

Around 6:30 p.m. Friday, the Sheriff's Office received a call about a burglary. The caller told a dispatcher that two men wearing hoodies had entered a home on Southwest 108th Lane and later exited with a large black box, which was placed in a sport utility vehicle identified as a Lexus. The vehicle was driven by a third man, and it headed toward Southwest 103rd Street Road, the caller said.

Deputy John Lightle and Detective Bobby Levay spotted the vehicle and stopped it in the area of Southwest 145th Place Road and Marion Oaks Lane.

As deputies were conducting that investigation, Deputies John Gernert, John Rawls and Detective Brandon Spillman arrived at the residence and noticed the rear sliding glass door had been opened.

The officials then entered the home, looking to see if anyone was injured inside, but found no one. They did, however, noticed some type of marijuana substance. It appeared that the only thing taken from the home, which had some furniture inside, was the box.

Spillman interviewed nearby neighbors, who told him about seeing two men wearing dark clothing with hoods prying and pulling on the back sliding glass door. Once the door was opened, the individuals entered the residence and, not long after, were seen exiting with a large black box.

The men carried the box about 25 yards into a wooden area, where they left it. The men then left the area and a few seconds later, the Lexus pulled up to the wooded area. The two men then re-entered the wooded area, retrieved the box, placed it in the vehicle and fled the area.

At the traffic stop, Lightle noticed a black safe in the vehicle, and Spillman went to the scene.

The tires on the Lexus appeared to match what was seen at the location. Shoe prints located at the scene matched a shoe of one of the occupants, Johnny Lee Cohen. Cohen and Treve Oats, another occupant in the vehicle, were wearing dark clothing, and officials found black hoodies and hats in the Lexus.

Spillman and Detective Art King, who also was called to the area, first interviewed a third person, identified as Latrell Weems. At first, Weems said he didn't know anything, officials said. However, later, Weems told Spillman he dropped the other two men at the residence and left. He said he then received a call from one of the men and he responded to the home, where they put the safe in the vehicle and he drove off.

The safe was recovered and inside, officials said they found several thousand dollars and a kilo of cocaine.

All three men were charged with residential burglary, grand theft and trafficking in cocaine.

Records show Oats, 36, has served time in prison for a drug offense and has been released since October 2010. Cohen, 26, did time for possession of cocaine and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He has been released since July 2011.

Weems served time for attempted robbery with a gun or deadly weapon and drug offenses. He has been released since July 2011. Weems is currently on drug offender probation until June 2013.

<p>OCALA - Sheriff's deputies arrested three men and recovered a safe that contained a sizeable amount of cash and drugs that had been stolen from a home, according to officials.</p><p>Around 6:30 p.m. Friday, the Sheriff's Office received a call about a burglary. The caller told a dispatcher that two men wearing hoodies had entered a home on Southwest 108th Lane and later exited with a large black box, which was placed in a sport utility vehicle identified as a Lexus. The vehicle was driven by a third man, and it headed toward Southwest 103rd Street Road, the caller said.</p><p>Deputy John Lightle and Detective Bobby Levay spotted the vehicle and stopped it in the area of Southwest 145th Place Road and Marion Oaks Lane.</p><p>As deputies were conducting that investigation, Deputies John Gernert, John Rawls and Detective Brandon Spillman arrived at the residence and noticed the rear sliding glass door had been opened.</p><p>The officials then entered the home, looking to see if anyone was injured inside, but found no one. They did, however, noticed some type of marijuana substance. It appeared that the only thing taken from the home, which had some furniture inside, was the box.</p><p>Outside, officials discovered tire tracks and shoe prints around the property.</p><p>Spillman interviewed nearby neighbors, who told him about seeing two men wearing dark clothing with hoods prying and pulling on the back sliding glass door. Once the door was opened, the individuals entered the residence and, not long after, were seen exiting with a large black box.</p><p>The men carried the box about 25 yards into a wooden area, where they left it. The men then left the area and a few seconds later, the Lexus pulled up to the wooded area. The two men then re-entered the wooded area, retrieved the box, placed it in the vehicle and fled the area.</p><p>At the traffic stop, Lightle noticed a black safe in the vehicle, and Spillman went to the scene.</p><p>The tires on the Lexus appeared to match what was seen at the location. Shoe prints located at the scene matched a shoe of one of the occupants, Johnny Lee Cohen. Cohen and Treve Oats, another occupant in the vehicle, were wearing dark clothing, and officials found black hoodies and hats in the Lexus.</p><p>Spillman and Detective Art King, who also was called to the area, first interviewed a third person, identified as Latrell Weems. At first, Weems said he didn't know anything, officials said. However, later, Weems told Spillman he dropped the other two men at the residence and left. He said he then received a call from one of the men and he responded to the home, where they put the safe in the vehicle and he drove off.</p><p>The safe was recovered and inside, officials said they found several thousand dollars and a kilo of cocaine.</p><p>All three men were charged with residential burglary, grand theft and trafficking in cocaine.</p><p>Records show Oats, 36, has served time in prison for a drug offense and has been released since October 2010. Cohen, 26, did time for possession of cocaine and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He has been released since July 2011.</p><p>Weems served time for attempted robbery with a gun or deadly weapon and drug offenses. He has been released since July 2011. Weems is currently on drug offender probation until June 2013.</p>